When it comes to high-speed commercial vessels, shipowners are spoilt for choice with a range of catamarans, air cushion craft, pentamarans and semi-displacement hulls either already in service or under consideration. Another…

Incinerators? days are numbered. So says Jeff Argent, environmental projects manager at Norwegian-headquartered roro operator United European Car Carriers (UECC).The pressures of environmental stewardship - to reduce air borne emissions - are…

Fitting environmentally friendly systems onboard ship comes at a cost and owners want to see some return for their investment, which is why class societies now offer environmental class notation.A number of…

Sea trials are underway on the first Royal Navy vessel to feature integrated electric propulsion and podded propulsors. HMS Echo, a 3,470t survey ship, left Appledore Shipbuilders yard in Devon, UK in…

In late March this year, the Italian shipbuilder Nuovi Cantieri Apuania delivered one of the world?s largest and fastest luxury cruise ferries to domestic Italian ship operator Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV), part…

In an interesting approach to upgrading a flexible fleet while meeting diverse transport requirements, the French ferry company Société Nationale Maritime Corse Méditerranée (SNCM) is about to see its expansion plans come…

In a blow to the French shipbuilding industry, the English Channel ferry operator Brittany Ferries has confirmed that it has placed a $150 million contract with German shipbuilder Meyer Werft of Papenburg…

Many will have thought that the hovercraft is dead in all but its military guise. However, hovercraft are still being used as a means of commercial transport and have a number of…

The pentamaran design first patented by Nigel Gee & Associates (NGA) six years ago looks like it might eventually get built. The backing of Spanish shipbuilder Izar has given the vessel?s British…

Izar Carenas, the ship repair division of the Spanish Izar Group, says 2001 was a successful year for it in the ship repair business. The group, which includes yards at Cadiz, Cartegena,…